Book Review | The Suspect by Fiona Barton

The Suspect is the latest mystery/thriller from Fiona Barton.

When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry.

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth – and this time is no exception. But she can’t help but think of her own son, who she hasn’t seen in two years since he left home to go traveling. This time it’s personal.

And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . .

I'm looking forward to getting back into thrillers this year. Last year was remarkably light in the thriller department so I'm making a point to place some focus back on thrillers.

I became a fan of Fiona Barton after reading the first book in the Kate Waters series (The Widow). It was one of those compulsive reads I couldn't put down so I was really looking forward to reading The Suspect.

The Suspect is the third book in the Kate Waters series, but each of these books can stand alone without having read the others. I missed out on reading book two, and my experience with The Suspect did not suffer at all. (I do still plan to read The Child, though!)

The Suspect is about an investigation into what happened to two girls who went missing while on vacation in Thailand. The story shifts between Kate and the parents' current point of view and the girls' past point of view before they went missing. I found these shifts very easy to follow, and I loved how Fiona Barton crafted her reveals and the timeline of the story.

The focus of The Suspect was understandably on the events that took place prior to the girls going missing and the steps being taken to find them and solve what happened. For me, this took away a lot of focus from character development. My reactions to events in books are directly tied to how deeply I care for the characters. The Suspect was an entertaining and quick read, but it's not one that will stick with me beyond the experience of reading it.

If you enjoyed Fiona Barton's previous releases, you are sure to enjoy The Suspect as well. If you like to focus on crimes and the events surrounding them, this is probably an excellent choice for you. There were some surprising moments in The Suspect. I just would have liked to have a deeper understanding of the characters.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | The Widow by Fiona Barton

The Widow is Fiona Barton's debut thriller.

For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, an electrifying thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife.

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen...

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

Why did I read The Widow?

I'm fascinated by the concept of women who are unknowingly married to monstrous men. How could they not know what their husbands are up to? Do they ignore the signs? Are their husbands that chillingly deceptive? Stephen King explored this concept in a story called The Good Marriage (Full Dark, No Stars) where the wife finds a box hidden in the garage while her husband is away. (Great story!) This concept is also explored in the BBC series Broadchurch. When I heard that The Widow is based around this concept as well, I knew I had to read it.

The Strengths

The Widow is what I classify as a "compulsive read". Gone Girl is a good example of what I mean. I wasn't really a fan of Gone Girl generally speaking, but I love books that make me read compulsively. I couldn't wait to get back to this book each time I had to put it down.

The Weaknesses

I expected to get to some shocks or twists, but the story basically unfolded without any profound revelations that I didn't see coming. That was OK. I don't have to have those crazy twists thrown in, but I was amped up and ready for them.

The unreliable narrator wasn't solid enough for me. There was a bit of being unreliable for the sake of being unreliable.

Would I recommend The Widow to others?

Yes. If you looking for a book that will keep you reading, The Widow fits that bill. It might be a good choice to break a reading slump.

7/10: Recommended Read

Review copy provided by publisher